Durban Renewal

After watching from the sidelines as Johannesburg and Cape Town have undergone inner-city facelifts, Durban is ready for its own nip and tuck. The developers who created Jo'burg's wildly successful Maboneng Precinct (a rundown area turned hip hub, including an artist-decorated hotel and indie cinema) are now working their magic on the seaside city's Rivertown district.

The Morning Trade - a weekly market selling fresh produce and fiery protea plants alongside pulled-pork sandwiches from Carve and handmade ice cream by LegenDairy - opened its doors in a converted warehouse, in August. Up next, galleries, restaurants and boutiques aplenty. 'We want to create a neighbourhood that uplifts the area, while taking into account the existing essence of Durban,' says Jonathan Liebmann, the brains behind the project. 'We're not going to roll out a model of Maboneng, but rather look at this as something entirely new.' So could Durbs finally find its cool? Judging by the throngs descending on Rivertown, it looks like it already has.

This feature was first published in Condé Nast Traveller November 2014